Holder for checks and similar articles



Feb. 23, 1932. w A. M. LEONARD 1,846,399

HOLDER FOR CHECKS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES Filed Aug. 1, 1951 Patented Feb. 23, 1932 ABRAHAM M. LEONARD, F IDS ANGELES, (iALIFOBNIA HOLDER FOB CHECKS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES Application filed August 1, 1931. semi No. 554,451.

This invention relates to devices for holding checks or similar articles in position in a stack from which they may be fed singly,

accurately and rapidly to a machine for en-.

8 dorsing, signing, cancelling or otherwise operating upon them. The invention is particularly adapted for use in connection with check endorsing machines which, as generally constructed, have a flat, smooth-surfaced feed table upon which the piles of checks are placed to be fed. In the absence of any guard, weight or holder to keep the stack of checks in proper condition, there is a marked tendency for the checks to become disarranged or to slide around or off the feed table. Further, the operator is liable to feed two or more checks into the endorsing machine at a time, in which event some of the checks would fail of endorsement.

It is the object of this invention, therefore, to hold the checks within the stack in their proper positions and to insure that the operator will not feed more than one check at any one time. Further objects are to produce a device which shall be compact, economical in its manufacture and eflicient in its operation, irrespective of the numbers of checks forming the stack.

With the above and other objects in View, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, as shown in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims, in which drawings Fig. 1 is a front elevation, Fig. 2 a plan view and Fig. 3 an end elevation of the invention.

The invention comprises a base plate 1 which, as shown, is preferably rectangular and fiat throughout substantially its entire area but which slopes downwardly at a slight angle from the front to the rear, there being a depending flange at its forward edge to rest upon the table top or other supporting device to which the invention is adapted to be attached. At its rear edge the base plate is attached to vertically extending and spaced members 6, two of said members being shown in the drawings. To these members, and be- 80 low the base plate, are secured brackets 8 having screws 9 threaded therein by means ofwhich the device may be attached to a desk, table or other suitable supporting structure. The members 6 are tubular in form to constitute guides for vertically extending rods 5, said rods being slidable within said members and adapted to be held in any position therein by means of thumb-screws 7. The upper ends of said rods are joined together by a tubular member 4 so that the rods and said member form a rigid structure, assuring that the two rods will move together. The tubular member 4 forms a journal bearing for a carrier 3. This carrier is preferably made of a wire which is bent into the shape of the letter C with its ends extending into the ends of the tubular member, whereby the carrier is pivoted so that it may be rocked about the member 4.. Journaled upon the front portion of the carrier are spaced rollers 2 which are adapted to rest upon the top of the stack of checks or similar articles upon the base plate.

The base plate is provided with a deep notch at its front edge in front of the rollers 2, said notch extending rearwardly below the stack of checks so that the operator may insert his fingers into said notch below the stack and withdraw the uppermost check so therefrom.

Fig. 3 shows the check-holder with the parts as they appear when the checks have all been fed from the stack. No matter howmany checks may be present in the stack, the rollers 2 rest upon the top and hold the checks down upon the base plate, while the slight inclination of the plate and the upstanding flange at the rear thereofhold the checks from twisting about, thus assuring that the checks will from forward movement, thus assuringthat a check may be withdrawn from the top of the stack without disturbing the underlying,

checks.

While I have thus described the preferred form of my invention, I realize that the details of construction may I wish it understood that the following claims are not intended-to be limited to such details anyfarther than their express terms render necessary. I claim:

'1. A holder for checks and the like comprising a rearwardly and downwardly inclined base, a pair of spaced guide members at the rear of the base, a pair of rods slidably connected with said guide members,

= from its frontv edge and adapted to rest upona supporting surface, the base being inclined means above the base for resting upon a stack of checks or the like, and a carrier pivoted to said pair of rods and supporting the said means.

2 A holder for checks and the like comprising a rearwardly anddownwardly inclined base having anotch in its front edge,apairof spaced guide members at the rear of the base, a pair of rods slidably connected with said guide members, a tubular member rigidly connectmgsaid rods, means above the base for resting upon a stack of checks or the like, and a carrier pivoted within the said tubular member and supporting the said means.

3. A holder for checksand the like as set forth in claim 1 in which the spaced guide members are of tubular formation and 111 which the rods are slidably mounted within the members.

. 4. A holder for checks and the like asiset forth in claim 2 in which the spaced guide members are of tubular formation and in which the rods are slidably mounted within the members.

'5. A holder for checks and the like as set forth in claim 1 in which the means for resting upon the stack of checks are rollers journaled'upon the pivoted carrier.

6. A'holder for checks and the like as set forth in claim 2 in which the means for resting upon the stack of checks are rollers journaled upon the pivoted carrier.

7. A holder for checks and the like comprising a base having a' fiange depending be modified, and

downwardly and rearwardly from said flange and having a notch in its front portion, an upstanding flange at the rear edge of said base, the base being adapted to hold a stack of checks or the like and the said upstanding flange forming a rear gage for said stack, a pair of spaced guide members at the rear of the base, a pair of rods slidably connected with the said guide members, and means connected with said rods for resting upon the said stack and for holding the latter in position upon said-base. V

8.- A holder forcheck's-and the 'like'comprising a base having a flange depending from its front edgeandadaptedto rest upon a supporting surface, the base being inclined downwardlyandrearwardly from said flange and having a notch in its front portion, an upstandingg zfiange-.-at the rear edge of said base, the base being adapted tohold a stack ofchecks orthe likeand the said upstanding flange-forming a rear gage for saidstack a pair ofspaced tubular members at the rear of thebase and rigidly connected with the said upstanding-flange thereon, a-pair ofrodsslidable within the said guide members,

means connected W-ithsa-id rods for resting upon the said stack and forholding the 'latter in-position-upon saidb-ase, and clampscon nected with the said tubular guide membersfor securing the holder to a support.

'9. Aholder for checks-and the like-comprising a base having-a-fiangedepending-from its front edge and adapted'to restupon a=sup-- flange andhav-i'ng a notch in its-front portion,

an upstandingflange' at the rear-edge of said base, said base beingadapted to hold a stack of' 'cheeks or the like-with the said upstanding flange forming a rear gagefor the stack,a 1

pair of'spa'ced guide members atcthe, rear of the base and rigidly 'connectedwith'the; said upstandingflange, a pair of rods-slidably connected with the said guide members, atubular' member rigidlyconnecting the'said pair of rods, a-carrier pivoted within the'saidtubular' member,,and a plurality of wheels'journaled upon the said carrier and adapted to-rest upon the top of'thesaid stack for holding the latter in position upon saidbase.

10. A holder for checks'and thelike ,com-

prisinga base having a flange'depending:

from its front edge and-adapted to rest'u pon' a supporting surface, the basebeing inclined downwardly and rearwardly from the said flange and-havinga notch in its front portion, an upstanding flangeat the rear edge of said base, said base beingad'apted to hold a stack of checks or the'like with-the" said upstanding flange forming a rear gage. for the stack,

a pairvof'spaced tubular guide members connectedwiththe saidbase'at the rearithereof',

a pair of rods slidably'mountediwithinthe saidtubul'ar guide members, a tubular mem her rigidly connecting the said pair of rods, a carrier pivoted within the said tubular member, a plurality of wheels journaled upon the said carrier and adapted to rest upon the top of the said stack for holding the latter in position upon said base, and clamps connected with the said tubular guide members for securing the holders to a sup ort.

In testimony whereof I ave signed my name to this s eeification.

A RAHAM M. LEONARD. 

